Helpless, Hopeless, Heartsick
by ChoCedric
Summary: What was going through Ron's mind during the scene at Malfoy Manor when he, Harry, and Hermione were captured in DH? Terror grips at him as Bellatrix threatens the one girl he loves more than life itself. He'll do anything to save Hermione.


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Helpless, Hopeless, Heartsick

By: ChoCedric

"Take these prisoners down to the cellar, Greyback," said Narcissa Malfoy.

Ron felt pure, undiluted fear as he, Harry, and Hermione stood, tied up, in Malfoy Manor. As well as the fear, there was fury emanating from him; it was Harry's fault they were here, and if any of them died, Harry would have a lot to answer for. He was the one who'd stupidly said Voldemort's name when Ron had clearly told him it was tabooed.

"Wait," said Bellatrix sharply. "All except ... except for the mudblood."

"No!" shouted Ron, feeling a sense of profound terror. "You can have me, keep me!" He needed to keep Hermione safe; the huge mistake of choosing to be away from her and abandoning the Horcrux hunt had truly shown him how much he really cared about her, and he needed to make it up to her. He didn't want this sick bitch to hurt the precious girl.

Bellatrix hit him across the face, but the sting wasn't hurting as much as his heart. "If she dies under questioning, I'll take you next," she hissed, making another jolt of fear twist through Ron. He couldn't lose her, he just couldn't! "Blood traitor is next to Mudblood in my book. Take them downstairs, Greyback, and make sure they are secure, but do nothing more to them--yet."

She threw Greyback's wand back to him, and then took a knife and cut Hermione free from the other prisoners. Ron looked into her terrified eyes, feeling the worst he'd ever felt in his entire life. He was then wrenched away from her as Greyback led him and Harry through another door and down a dark passageway.

"Reckon she'll let me have a bit of the girl when she's finished with her?" Greyback wheedled as they walked. Ron felt bile rise in his throat; the girl he loved's beautiful body was going to be devoured by him without a second thought, and he'd be able to do nothing. "I'd say I'll get a bite or two, wouldn't you, ginger?"

Ron wanted to spit in Greyback's face, but he was shaking too hard to do anything. He was so scared; this was fear in its purest form. He and Harry were forced down a flight of stairs, and into a dank, musty cellar. Before the cellar door could slam completely, Ron heard the worst noise he could ever hear; his brave, strong Hermione screaming.

"HERMIONE! HERMIONE!" Ron roared, trying to writhe within the ropes that were tying him and Harry together. Tears filled his eyes; she was going to die before he got a chance to tell her how he felt about her.

"Be quiet!" Harry hissed. "Shut up, Ron, we need to work out a way ..."

How dare he tell me to shut up when he's the reason we're in this predicament in the first place! Ron thought angrily. He was sitting here, listening to the love of his life be tortured right in front of him, the girl he'd once called a bossy know-it-all and claimed she was a nightmare and had no friends. Things had changed so much within the past seven years, and now Ron didn't think he'd be able to live without that wonderful, beautiful girl. "HERMIONE! HERMIONE!" he bellowed again.

"We need a plan, stop yelling--we need to get these ropes off ..." blustered Harry.

"Harry?" whispered another voice. "Ron? Is that you?" A shadow began to move towards them. "Harry? Ron?"

"LUNA?"

"Yes, it's me! Oh no, I didn't want you to be caught!" Neither did I, Ron thought bitterly.

"Luna, can you help us get these ropes off?" asked Harry.

"Oh yes, I expect so. ... There's an old nail we use if we need to break anything. ... Just a moment ..." replied Luna.

All common sense left Ron as Hermione screamed again. "HERMIONE! HERMIONE!" he shouted, wanting to do anything to help her. The screaming was making him feel helpless, hopeless, and heartsick.

"Mr. Ollivander?" Ron could faintly hear Luna in the background through his haze. "Mr. Ollivander, have you got the nail? If you just move over a little bit ... I think it was beside the water jug. ..."

She was back within seconds. "You'll need to stay still," she said.

As Luna helped to untie the ropes, Ron could hear Bellatrix's mad voice from upstairs. "I'm going to ask you again! Where did you get this sword? WHERE?" she barked.

"We found it--we found it--PLEASE!" Hermione howled, and Ron struggled harder than ever to get free. He had to get to her; his heart was pounding and his face was streaked with tears. The rusty nail slipped onto Harry's wrist.

"Ron, please stay still!" Luna whispered. "I can't see what I'm doing ..."

"My pocket!" said Ron urgently. "In my pocket, there's a Deluminator, and it's full of light!" He honestly didn't know how he'd been able to think straight enough to give this valuable information.

A few seconds later, the deluminator clicked on, and Ron could see all the prisoners: Harry, Griphook, Dean, Luna, and Mr. Ollivander.

"Oh, that's much easier, thanks, Ron," said Luna, beginning to hack at the ropes again. "Hello, Dean!"

"You are lying, filthy Mudblood, and I know it! You have been inside my vault at Gringotts! Tell the truth, TELL THE TRUTH!" Bellatrix shrieked, making Ron feel sick again. Another terrible scream issued from his love's mouth as Ron screamed again, "HERMIONE!"

"What else did you take? What else have you got? Tell me the truth or, I swear, I shall run you through with this knife!" Bellatrix roared. How could anyone threaten dear Hermione with a knife? Ron thought frantically. This was too much for him; it was just plain unbearable.

"There!" said Luna, and the ropes came free. Ron began to run around the cellar, searching for a trapdoor. He even tried to Disapparate to Hermione without a wand.

"There's no way out, Ron," said Luna, and even more profound terror gripped at him. "The cellar is completely escape-proof. I tried, at first. Mr. Ollivander has been here for a long time, he's tried everything."

Hermione screamed again, and Ron could see Harry running around the cellar too. Keep running, thought Ron viciously. If Hermione dies, you'll pay for it.

"What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! CRUCIO!"

Ron was now half-sobbing as he pounded the walls with his fists, pure adrenaline seizing him. "Help us!" he suddenly heard Harry scream, and realized he was looking at the mirror fragment which had Dumbledore's blue eye looking out from it. "We're in the cellar of Malfoy Manor, help us!"

"HERMIONE! HERMIONE!" Ron howled, tears streaming down his face as the girl he so dearly wanted to protect screamed even louder.

"How did you get into my vault?" Bellatrix shrieked. "Did that dirty little goblin in the cellar help you?"

"We only met him tonight!" sobbed Hermione helplessly. "We've never been inside your vault. ... It isn't the real sword! It's a copy, just a copy!"

Through all the horror seizing Ron, he felt extremely proud of Hermione. Leave it to her to think up a false story when she was under torture. He wanted to gather her in his arms and tell her how brave she was, but he didn't think he'd ever get the chance to do that now.

"A copy?" screeched Bellatrix. "Oh, a likely story!"

"But we can find out easily!" came Lucius Malfoy's voice, making Ron feel ill with hatred. "Draco, fetch the goblin, he can tell us whether the sword is real or not!"

Harry went over to Griphook and whispered, "Griphook, you must tell them that sword's a fake, they mustn't know it's the real one, Griphook, please ..."

Then came Draco's voice, reminding Ron of all the times they'd faced off at school, but this was the real thing. "Stand back. Line up against the back wall. Don't try anything, or I'll kill you!"

Ron and Harry did as they were told, and the door opened, revealing Draco in all his sickening glory. As he seized the little goblin and marched off again, there was a CRACK! inside the cellar. Ron clicked the deluminator again, restoring the light which he'd turned off when Draco came in.

"DOB ..." Ron began to yell, seeing Dobby the house-elf in their midst. But he stopped as Harry hit him on the arm to quiet him, and looking stricken, Ron did. A feeling of incredible hope seized him; they were going to be able to escape!

And that feeling of hope remained through the confrontation with Peter Pettigrew, or Scabbers, his old pet rat. He felt incredible shock as he watched the silver hand Harry had told him about strangle the man to death.

As soon as Wormtail was dead, he and Harry quietly made their way back up the stairs to the drawing room. Ron was stricken as he saw his love lying at Bellatrix's feet, barely stirring. Oh, God, please don't let her be dying, Ron thought, trying to fight tears again.

"Well?" demanded Bellatrix of Griphook. "Is it the true sword?"

Relief broke through Ron's terror as Griphook answered no. Then, all the tension seemed to release from Bellatrix, and she pressed her finger to her forearm as she declared, "And now, we call the Dark Lord!"

Ron felt another surge of horror. He was not worried about himself, he was terrified for Hermione. The girl he loved was dying and there was absolutely nothing he'd be able to do if You-Know-Who came on the scene. Nothing.

"And I think," said Bellatrix with a note of triumph in her voice, "We can dispose of the mudblood. Greyback, take her if you want her."

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Ron bellowed, this being too much for him. He burst into the drawing room, completely willing to fight for Hermione's precious life. Bellatrix turned around, shocked, and Ron shouted, "Expelliarmus!" Her wand flew out of her hand and was caught by Harry, who'd sprinted in after him.

"STUPEFY!" Harry screamed, and Lucius Malfoy fell to the floor, unconscious. Jets of light flew from Narcissa, Draco, and Greyback's wands, and Harry threw himself to the ground and rolled behind a sofa to avoid them.

"STOP OR SHE DIES!" Bellatrix roared. Ron realized in horror that Hermione was unconscious as well. "Drop your wands," Bellatrix said with a gleam in her eyes. "Drop them, or we'll see exactly how filthy her blood is!"

Harry and Ron held onto their wands, Ron's heart pounding loudly within his chest. "Drop them!" Bellatrix repeated, pressing the blade of the knife into Hermione's throat. Ron saw beads of her blood appear there, and he knew what he had to do.

And Harry had the same idea. "All right!" he shouted, dropping Bellatrix's wand while Ron dropped Wormtail's, which he had been holding.

"Good!" Bellatrix leered. "Draco, pick them up! The Dark Lord is coming, Harry Potter! Your death approaches!"

Ron felt helpless as Draco came rushing back over with the wands. "Now," said Bellatrix softly, "Cissy, I think we ought to tie these little heroes up again, while Greyback takes care of Miss Mudblood. I am sure the Dark Lord will not begrudge you the girl, Greyback, after what you have done tonight."

At the last word, there was a grinding noise from above, and suddenly, the chandelier began to fall. Bellatrix threw Hermione's tortured body away from her and jumped to the side, avoiding the explosion of glass and crystal. Ron watched in horror as the chandelier fell on top of Hermione. He ran to pull her out of the wreckage, feeling completely useless. Hermione had already been so close to death, what if this was the final straw for her body?

As he was doing this, Harry leapt over an armchair and wrestled the three wands from Draco's grip. "STUPEFY!" he roared, and Greyback was lifted off the floor by the strength of the spell. He smashed back onto the ground, and Narcissa rushed to pull Draco out of harm's way. Bellatrix sprang to her feet, raising the silver knife with an evil glint in her expression.

Narcissa then brandished her wand at the doorway. "Dobby!" she screamed, causing Bellatrix to look at her. "YOU dropped the chandelier!"

"You must not hurt Harry Potter!" Dobby squeaked, pointing his finger at Narcissa.

"Kill him, Cissy!" shrieked Bellatrix, but Narcissa's wand flew out of her hand and landed on the other side of the room.

"You dirty little monkey!" hollered Bellatrix. "How dare you take a witch's wand, how dare you defy your masters!"

"Dobby has no master!" squealed Dobby. "Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!"

"Ron, catch, and GO!" Harry screamed, throwing a wand towards Ron, who caught it and immediately tried to Disapparate. He thought of Shell Cottage, Bill and Fleur's home, and he cradled Hermione in his arms.

Whoa, he thought numbly, adrenaline coursing through him. As he gripped onto the one thing he loved more than life itself, he had just one thought: please, please let her survive. He didn't think he could face the world without her in his life. If she survived, he'd show her how much she meant to him, and he'd give her the world. 'Mione, please be okay, he prayed as he was squeezed through a tube and the surroundings of Malfoy Manor disappeared. Please.


End file.
